Stitch is my WDW buddy

I got a comment from Sue about letting her 14 year old daughter and friends go off alone in the parks, and since I had so many things to say, I decided to share it with all of you. For Sue’s sake, I’ll be referring to your teen as “her”, but if you have a son, these tips still apply.

My first piece of advice would be to think about how independent your teen is. Do you let her go other places alone, yet? If not, WDW might not be the place to experiment with that. However, if you’ve got one of those independent kids, like I was, then we’re off to a good start.

Late middle-school/early high school is a good age group to start with. We’ve already established that your teenager is at least independent enough to go to the mall or movies with friends and not you. (Don’t take any of it personally, it’s totally just the age). So is your teen ready to hit the parks on her own? My advice would be to start slow. Maybe your family is in Epcot, and you all really want to go to the Imagination! Pavillion, but your teen is dying to ride Test Track. Walk with her to Test Track, check out the wait times, make sure all cell phones are on, and make a plan to meet back there in half an hour (give or take, depending on wait times, etc). You and your family go do your thing, and let your teen experience the single rider line (it’s so much shorter!) then meet back in your designated spots. If all goes accordingly, let your teen try it out one or two more times that day. Doing this will boost trust and confidence for everyone involved.

If you’ve brought friends for your teen, the same idea applies, only there are more parties involved. Everyone should still have cell phones on, but maybe you give the group some more time together so they can ride Test Track AND Mission Space. Make the plan based on how many teens you’ve got on your trip, how “mature” they are, and how long you want to sip margaritas in the World Showcase. You know your teens, so you probably have a good idea of how much they can handle before you have to reel them in.

Things to remember:

1. Cell phones are a beautiful thing. If you and your teen both have cell phones, make sure they’re on, and can be felt or heard. No need to overcrowd your teen by calling her 15 times while she’s on the ride to make sure she’s okay, Disney Cast Members will make sure nothing happens to anyone, but it’s a great way for her to shoot you a text if the ride breaks down for a bit and she’s going to be a few minutes late, or if she gets out sooner than expected.
2. Cast Members are a beautiful thing. Make sure your teen understands that if anything goes wrong, to approach a cast member with the situation. They know what to do, they’ve been trained in that area. No need to think about any “worst possible situations” because Disney has already done that, and they have easy solutions for everything.
3. While worrying is a natural occurrence for parents, there’s no need to make your teen feel like she’s going to give you a heart attack if she rides Mission Space without you. Give her a little slack on the leash, and she’ll surprise you.
4. Family is really important, and the memories that families create together are incredible, so while I encourage you to let your teen try a few of the crazier attractions while you sit back and do something more relaxing with the rest of your gang, don’t forget that it’s the things you do together that she’ll remember most. Gaining a little independence is a huge thing, and she’ll thank you for it (maybe not that day, but in time) so don’t feel like a bad guy if she asks to go on six different rides in a row, and you tell her you’d rather spend some quality time with her. She’ll understand: Disney is a family place, and it’s the memories you make together that last a lifetime and keep you coming back.

To sum up? If you think your teen is ready, go ahead and let her do a few rides while you go do something else. Have a set plan in order, and make sure cell phones are charged. Talk it over with your teen first, to make sure everyone involved understands the plan, and then set her free. They always come back. Trust me. Gelato from Italian boys costs money.